It wasn’t good. Small-time crooks, they had a string of arrests for petty theft, simple assault, drunk and disorderly. It was a long list.
The officer couldn’t say for sure, but there were rumors that the two had started working with Freddy’s brother, and the threesome had become involved in bigger things, including smuggling.
Another friend had tapped his sources at the Jacksonville PD and found the connection to Megan Moretti. She was Freddy’s sister-in-law and, according to some accounts, the brains of the entire operation.
The source referred to Freddy’s brother as Mac, but Karen said she wasn’t sure that was his real name, because no one would actually name a kid Mac Davis, would they?
Mac got arrested, and was serving time in the state penitentiary in Raiford. Shortly after he was sentenced, his wife and brother and their pal Chuck dropped out of sight. There were rumors. One snitch said they claimed to have a big job on the horizon, but he didn’t know where they’d gone.
“Apparently,” Karen said, “the deal was somewhere near Pensacola, so Megan decided to come back to Keyhole Bay. She didn’t bother to tell anyone she was married. Or that her husband was doing time.”
“So does anyone know what they were after?” Felipe asked. “What was worth killing someone for?”
“I heard a little bit,” I offered. “It was some kind of recovery. Historic artifacts on a wreck, and the potential for an international incident, or something.”
Karen shook her head. “And Bobby walked into the middle of it without even knowing.”
My eyelids were drooping, and Karen and Riley looked like they needed to spend some time talking over the events of the past few days.
Felipe and Ernie exchanged a glance, and Ernie nodded. Felipe came close to the bedside, and gave me a careful hug. “You need to sleep,” he said. He looked over at Jake. “Give me the keys,” he said. “We’ll go check on Bluebeard.”
“You sure?”
Felipe nodded. “Somebody’s got to stay and watch over our girl. And I think you’re probably her first choice.”
I think I stayed awake long enough to agree.
But I’m not sure.
Karen’s Down-Home
Dinner Menus and Recipes
CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
Chicken and dumplings comes in a variety of styles: with or without vegetables; with simple broth or rich, gravy-like liquid; with doughy drop dumplings or the fluffier rolled-biscuit type. Each one has its adherents, and different factions will claim their style is the most authentic. Presented here is Karen’s choice.
Bouquet garni*
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 whole chicken (5 to 6 pounds), skin on, cut into 8 pieces, including neck
6 cups water
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 stalk celery, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, if needed
1 tablespoon flour, if needed
Cut chicken as for frying or (like Karen) buy a cut-up chicken.
In a large stew pot, melt 1⁄4 cup butter. Sauté onion and garlic in melted butter over medium-high heat. Put chicken pieces in pot, add broth and enough water to completely cover chicken. Add bouquet garni, peppercorns, and celery. Bring to a rolling boil, lower heat, and simmer until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken and allow to cool. Strain bouquet garni, celery, and peppercorns from broth and discard. Return stock to pot, reserving 1 cup, and keep hot.
When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and shred meat.
To make dumplings, mix 2 cups flour with 1 tablespoon salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour, and slowly add reserved chicken stock, a little at a time, stirring with a fork just until a soft, doughy consistency is reached. Add additional flour or stock, a tablespoon at a time, if necessary to reach desired consistency. On a floured surface, knead dough a few times and pat out to 1⁄4-inch thickness. Cut with a knife or pizza cutter into 1-11⁄2 inch squares. Slowly add dumplings to simmering stock, being careful not to let dumplings clump together. When dumplings float to the top, they are done.
If the broth is not thickened to your liking, mix the 1 tablespoon of butter with the 1 tablespoon of flour and add slowly to the broth to thicken.
Put shredded chicken meat in bowls, ladle broth and dumplings over it, and serve.
*To make bouquet garni, bundle the following herbs, and tie with string or place in a small net or cheesecloth bag:
5 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
Small bunch parsley stems
2 fresh sage sprigs
A traditional southern meal always includes several vegetables. Glazed carrots are a southern favorite, and will definitely complement chicken and dumplings.
GLAZED CARROTS
1 pound carrots, cut on the bias into 1⁄4-inch slices
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1⁄4 cup orange juice
Put sliced carrots in a shallow pan, add water just to cover, and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. In the same pan, melt the butter, add the brown sugar, salt, and orange juice, and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is melted and glaze thickens.
Beans of all sorts are a mainstay of southern cooking. Boiled, baked, or in soups and stews and gumbos, a lot of southern meals include some sort of beans. Simple, fresh green beans, when available, can be a great addition to your meal.
GREEN BEANS
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 11⁄2-inch pieces
1 quart water
1 ham hock, diced
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
dash sugar
Place diced salt pork and water in saucepan, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add beans, salt, and sugar, and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until beans are tender.
A southern meal, even one that includes dumplings, should have some kind of bread for sopping purposes. After all, you don’t want to waste any of the tasty sauce, broth, or gravy that accompanies your main dish.
BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1⁄3 cup shortening
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Pinch in shortening with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in milk gradually, just until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn out onto floured surface and knead 15 to 20 times. Roll out about 1-inch thick and cut with a floured cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake 13 to 15 minutes until edges brown.
The standard southern beverage, sweet tea, appears at every meal. Southerners like their sweet tea, and most traditional homes will have a pitcher or two in the refrigerator.
SWEET TEA
6 cups water
6 tea bags (traditionally, plain black tea)
1 cup sugar
Bring the water to a boil, add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Steep the tea bags in the sweetened water to the desired strength, and serve in tall glasses of ice. Garnish with mint sprigs or lemon slices, if desired.
The deep color and distinctive flavor of red velvet cake make the perfect finish for a southern meal. Topped with cream cheese frosting and decorated with pecan halves, it looks as good as it tastes.
RED VELVET CAKE
12 tablespoons (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted cake flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
13⁄4 cups sugar
1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
&nb
sp; 3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two greased 9-inch cake pans with greased parchment paper. In a bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Using a mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and vegetable oil until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then beat in food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
Turn mixer to low speed, then add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately, starting and ending with flour, until just combined. Divide the batter between the pans and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn pans about halfway through.
Cool layers in pans on cake racks for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely. (Refrigerating or freezing the cooled layers will make them easier to frost.) With a long serrated knife, split the layers horizontally to make 4 thin layers.
32 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
Using a mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, and continue beating until smooth.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake plate, top with about 1-11⁄2 cups of frosting and smooth. Continue adding layers, ending with cake. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting as a crumb coat—it doesn’t need to be perfect. Chill the cake for 15 or 20 minutes to set the crumb coat, then frost with remaining frosting.
Garnish finished cake with a ring of toasted pecan halves and dust sides with crushed pecans.
Ernie’s Exquisite Elegance
If your only experience with pimento cheese is the mass-produced version packed in tiny glass tumblers, this savory spread will be a real eye-opener. This version calls for all extra-sharp cheddar, but experiment with different cheeses and combinations, such as Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or white cheddar.
PIMENTO CHEESE WITH CRACKERS
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
1 4-ounce jar diced pimento, drained
salt and black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a hand mixer or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve this creamy spread with your favorite crackers, as a vegetable dip, stuffed in celery, or made into sandwiches.
Making fried cornbread is easy and quick. Just be patient letting the dough cool, and watch carefully while it’s frying.
FRIED CORNBREAD
11⁄2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
Mix cornmeal and salt in a large bowl. Stir well and pour boiling water over dry ingredients. Stir to mix well. Dough will be slightly runny, but will thicken as it cools. When dough is cool enough to handle, shape into balls about the size of a golf ball. Wetting your hands will help to prevent sticking as you shape. Flatten the balls with your fingers to about 1⁄2 inch thick.
Place the shaped pieces on plastic wrap or waxed paper until all pieces are shaped.
Heat about 1⁄2 inch of oil or shortening in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, place a few pieces of cornbread in the hot oil. Cook until the bottoms are golden and the edges begin to brown. Turn and continue frying until the second sides are also golden.
Drain on paper towels and serve with your favorite southern main dish!
Dirty rice gets its name from the chicken livers and ground meat that colors the rice. Cooked with meat, herbs, and spices, dirty rice can be as mild or spicy as you like.
DIRTY RICE
1⁄4 pound chicken gizzards, finely chopped
1⁄2 pound chicken livers, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken broth
salt to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
Heat oil in large saucepan, over medium heat. Sauté gizzards and onion. When meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes, add liver and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until brown.
Add rice, stir well, and add broth and seasonings. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.
Okra is a staple among southern vegetables. A standard ingredient in soups, stews, and gumbos, it also makes a great fried side dish.
FRIED OKRA
1 pound fresh okra
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Mix cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix 1 tablespoon paprika and 1 tablespoon salt and set aside.
Trim stems and tips from okra and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices. In a bowl, mix egg and buttermilk. Marinate okra slices in buttermilk mixture at room temperature for 15 minutes.
In a medium frying pan, heat 1⁄2 inch of oil to 375 degrees on frying thermometer. Remove okra from buttermilk marinade, let excess liquid drip off, then dredge in cornmeal mixture. Fry in small batches in hot oil, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with paprika mixture, and serve.
Tomatoes show up in lots of southern dishes. They can be baked, broiled, fried, sliced, diced, made into sauce—or stewed. This basic recipe can be enhanced with herbs or spices such as garlic or pepper flakes, depending on your personal preferences.
STEWED TOMATOES
4 large tomatoes
1⁄4 cup chopped onion
1⁄4 cup chopped green pepper
1⁄4 cup chopped celery
2 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel tomatoes by plunging them in boiling water for about 1 minute, then cooling enough to handle. Pierce skin with a sharp knife, and remove skin.
Cut tomatoes into large pieces, put in a saucepan with water, chopped vegetables, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until tomatoes are tender.
Ham. The word evokes the smoky, salty goodness of seasoned and aged pork. Ham hocks flavor beans; fried ham slices accompany eggs; and thin, cold slices make an excellent sandwich. But nothing compares to the pleasure of a perfectly baked and glazed ham, hot from the oven.
BAKED HAM
1 tablespoon spice rub*
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1⁄4 cup chopped pecans
1 5-pound high-quality fully cooked ham
Combine spice rub, brown sugar, butter, and chopped pecans, mixing until crumbly. Pat the mixture over the surface of the ham, using it all.
Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan, add 1 cup of water, and roast at 350 degrees for 11⁄2 to 2 hours, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Check occasionally and add more water if needed. Let ham rest a few minutes before slicing, and serve with pan juices. If the juices are not thick enough for your taste, pour them into a saucepan and reduce over medium-high heat until thickened.
*To make spice rub, combine equal parts of the following spices:
Anise seed
Fennel seed
Whole cloves
&nb
sp; Whole peppercorns
Ground cinnamon
In a spice grinder, blend until ingredients become a fine powder.
Alternatively, use equal parts ground spices, plus an additional 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon.
Bananas Foster is more than a dessert—it’s performance art you can eat. While the traditional service (from Brennan’s in New Orleans) is over ice cream, bananas Foster can also be served over waffles or crepes. And if you believe that more is always better, you can garnish the dish with sweetened whipped cream.
BANANAS FOSTER
1⁄4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
1⁄4 cup dark rum
1⁄2 teaspoon orange zest
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add cinnamon and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves, then stir in banana liqueur.
Place cut bananas in hot syrup and simmer, spooning sauce over bananas. When the bananas begin to brown, carefully add the rum. If the sauce is very hot, the rum will flame on its own. If not, carefully ignite the rum with a stick lighter. Cook until the flame subsides, 1 or 2 minutes.
Remove bananas and place four pieces over each scoop of ice cream.
Add orange zest to syrup, stir, spoon generously over each plate of bananas and ice cream, and serve immediately.
Bonus!
Quick and Easy
Hamburger Soup
This soup is not a traditional southern recipe, but it is one that makes good use of staples that are easily found in most kitchens. Easy to make, ready to eat in 30 minutes, and the recipe scales up if you find yourself feeding a crowd. With a plate of biscuits and some butter, it’s a hearty meal.
Murder Hooks a Mermaid Page 23
